A typical type of holder for toilet paper rolls consists of a receptacle or housing, usually of a semi-cylindrical form recessed into a wall and having in its opposite interior faces sockets or slots to receive the ends of a horizontally disposed journal rod or core upon which the paper roll is mounted. Because of its recessed position, the removal of paper from the roll is sometimes awkward, particularly when the holder is in a wall on one side of the toilet causing the axis of rotation of the roll to be substantially parallel to the general direction of the arm reach of the user.
In order to overcome the above problems, various different types of holders for a roll of toilet paper have been advanced in the art. Thus, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,038 there is provided an arrangement wherein the holder includes a cylindrical core which pivotably engages a lower extremity of the frame such that the core can be swung in a vertical path between a vertical position and a horizontal position.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,425 to Kish, there is disclosed a paper roll dispenser which has a bracket with two generally parallel elongated support arms extending therefrom in a direction generally perpendicular to a front face of the bracket such that each support arm is free to rotate about its arm axis. A spindle has one end attached to each of the support arms to rotatably support a roll of paper between the support arms. The roll is replaced by rotating one support arm about its arm axis and thereby moving the spindle into a position projecting generally away from the other support arm whereby the spent roll supported by the spindle may be replaced.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,555,531 to Boord teaches a dispenser which comprises a pair of supporting arms extending outwardly from a mounting bracket then the outer ends are bent upwardly to form parallel prongs. Each prong is designed to receive a roll of toilet paper mounted thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,227,386 teaches a holder for toilet paper rolls wherein the holder may be mounted in different positions to orient the roll in different directions either horizontal or vertical.
While the above references disclose many different possible arrangements, they fail to teach an arrangement wherein a universal support member may be mounted on either a horizontal or a vertical surface and wherein a roll of toilet paper or the like may be dispensed in different orientations.